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Britons would support a political party that promises to stop immigration or promises to reduce the number of Muslims than one that encourages multiculturalism, according to a survey conducted in the United Kingdom after the Olympics Games. Despite London 2012 being called as a celebration of a diverse society, the research suggested that most people are open to views traditionally associated with far-right groups. According to The Guardian, the survey, conducted by YouGov, found that 41 percent of people would more likely vote for a party that promises to stop all immigration, compared with 28 percent who said they would be less likely to support a group that promoted such policies. In addition, 37 percent admitted that they would be more likely to support a political party that promised to reduce the number of Muslims in Britain and the presence of Islam in society, compared with 23 percent who said it would make them less likely. Matthew Goodwin of the Extremis Project, an independent group monitoring extremism and terrorism that commissioned the research, said that, although Britain lacked a successful extremist political party, much of the public was susceptible to far-right ideology, the report said. "The results clearly point towards enduring public anxieties over the performance of mainstream political and business elites, immigration and also the role of Muslims and Islam in society," he said. In Europe, far-right parties have gained an increasing foothold, with Marine le Pen’s National Front recently gaining 6.5 million votes in recent polling and a poll in Greece indicated that support for the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn has grown to 10.5 percent, up from 7 percent at the last election, the report said. The poll results suggest, however, that Britain may struggle to host far-right groups capable of such popularity, revealing a striking generational divide in attitudes towards multiculturalism. It found that large majorities of people between the age group of 18 and 24 rejected radical rightwing policies, with 60 percent saying that a party campaigning to halt all immigration would make them less likely to support it or that it did not matter to them. "While we see further evidence of an emerging generation that is more tolerant towards – and accepting of – immigration and diversity, there remains clear potential for a party that … promises to halt immigration, reduce the number of Muslims and prioritise traditional British values over other cultures," Goodwin, a lecturer at Nottingham University, said.

More Britons may support an anti-Muslim party, says Survey